30 applicants lose Kano hospital job offers after testing positive to dru*s

- 30 applicants who tried to join the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Kano as staff have been left disappointed

- This is after they failed a mandatory dr*g test which is a requirement for incoming staff of the hospital

- Most of the applicants were said to have been recommended by officials of the presidency and other politicians

A report by The Guardian has detailed how 30 applicants who tried to join the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Kano as staff have been left disappointed.

This is after they failed a mandatory dr*g test which is a requirement for incoming staff of the hospital.

According to the report, most of the applicants were said to have been recommended by officials of the presidency and other politicians.

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The prospective employees who emerged from thousands of applicants had successfully fulfilled various requirements and had been shortlisted until their samples turned up positive.

It was learnt that the youths were dropped from a 150 list to fill the shortage of staff at the only federal government-owned orthopaedic hospital in the entire northern region.

A source quoted in the report, stated that some of the applicants had the recommendation of persons at the presidency, top political appointees, high-ranking members of the Federal Character Commission and senior staff of the hospital.

One of those who failed the test, however accused the management of deliberate attempt to trim the shortlisted candidates.

“How can they refuse to give us letters of appointment after we have been shortlisted. It is not fair, to say the least. We were not even told any tests, like dr*g and others, would be conducted. They just asked us to submit our urine samples and the next thing they said was, ‘No job again,’” he said.

But asked whether he took any substance that affected a person’s mental state, he replied angrily: “I wonder why anybody would be interested in my personal affairs. How should that determine my job opportunity? Even if I am taking dr*gs, is it not my personal matter? How is that the business of anybody? We need this job and they cannot claim we are not qualified. So, they should, please, give us the job.”

Another candidate affected said: “I also failed the test after paying a required N2,500 bill. I was informed, few weeks, ago that our names had been shortlisted. After my credentials were screened, they asked us to do a urine test.

“Unknown to many of us, it was a dr*g test. Unfortunately, I failed. I want to appeal to the federal government to, please, intervene. We need the job. We are tired of being in the labour market.”

In his reaction, the director of administration at the hospital, Alhaji Audu Ibrahim, insisted only 20 applicants were rejected. He explained that while 15 failed the test outright, five others were placed on probation.

He disclosed that the hospital adopted the measure to prevent recurrence of a dr*g-related problem in its workforce, adding that the management was still struggling to cope with five members of staff who had already become psychiatric patients.

His words: “The management took the decision to conduct the drug and other medical tests to prevent some ugly experiences in the hospital. Dr*g test is the most pertinent and we take it very critically. But let me put it straight, they are 20 not 30.

“It is the standard in civil service and the tests were not on dr*gs alone. The procedure is that when you fail the dr*g test, you don’t even need to go for the rest, that is HIV, tuberculosis, diabetes and others. We are doing this to reduce the liability we already have. We don’t want to add to it.”

Meanwhile, former President Olusegun Obasano has pledged his continuous support and advocacy towards primary healthcare development in Nigeria.

Obasanjo made the pledge when he was visited by major stakeholders in the Nigerian health sector.

Legit.ng gathered that the stakeholders were in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital for the National Council of Health meeting.

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Source: Legit.ng